Kampfgeschwader 53 "Legion Condor"

[Eike41]

Hi all can I get some opinions on this disk? I am told it is Kampfgeschwader 53 "Legion Condor" is that code correct for Kampfgeschwader 53. any assistance is appreciated.

[Eike41]

"Erkennungsmarke 321/53578.

Wolfgang Martin served with 6. / Kampfgeschwader 3 from 1940 until March 1944. After this he was trained as Zerstörer pilot and was transferred to 4. / Zerstörergeschwader on 3rd Mai 1944. He died on 13th May 1944 near Bürschen, east of Frankfurt am Main as Oberfeldwebel and Flugzeugführer with 4. / Zerstörergeschwader 26 "Horst Wessel" together with his Bordfunker Feldwebel Ahlgrimm. Most probably they were shot down by a P-51 Mustang fighter. Martin flew a total of about 600 sorties and shot down two enemy planes of which one was a four engined bomber.

He lies buried at the Kriegsgräberstätte in Düsseldorf-Nordfriedhof (Germany), Plot 112, Row O, Grave 119."

From ww2awards.com

So maybe the disk is for Kampfgeschwader 3?

[Matt L]

My Mob Nr. list says 53578 is 3. Staffel, Ergänzungs-Kampfgruppe 2- it's apparently a kind of training or school unit, so presumably like Ersatz-Bataillone in the army, men would move on to field units and retain the old disc. Martin probably began in Erg.K.Gr. 2 as well and was just posted to KG3, and then ZG26.

I don't know why it would be suggested to be KG53- its Mob codes are in the 65000 and 69000s unless for some reason someone found out that's the field unit this man flew with. And KG3s codes were in mostly in the 51000s and a few in the 61000 and 63000 ranges. Neither seems to have one anywhere in the 53000s.

[Eike41]

Matt,

Thanks! that makes sense.